Because they did not have enough time and energy, the three of them did not try to build a thatched house again after arriving in the black forest at a lower altitude. Instead, they spent all their time looking for food.
It is not easy to find suitable food in the cold early spring, when various plants have just begun to sprout. Although there are delicacies like spring bamboo shoots, they can't find bamboo in this area.
Even though most wild animals have left their winter shelters and begun to move around, they, like plants, have not yet reached their peak period of vitality. Wild animals that are scarce in number and have just emerged from the cold winter are extremely alert. Even our sage, in the absence of long-range weapons such as crossbows or bows, would find it difficult to hunt with flying knives alone. .
It’s not that it’s unobtainable, it’s just that it’s not cost-effective enough.
Although meat can replenish a lot of energy, considering the difficulty of hunting, even if it is finally caught, it may be consumed even more before then, ultimately leading to making ends meet.
Not to mention the dangers that can come with hunting at night. They are not the only ones who are hungry in the wilderness now. There are quite a few tigers, leopards and brown bears in the mountains and forests. The bears that have finished their hibernation in early spring are hungry. It is common for a hunter to accidentally become the prey. things.
In a state of survival, blind exploration is a very unwise choice. Every minute of time and energy must be used on planned things. Taste and texture should come after energy. If it can supplement nutrition, even relatively boring food should be eaten first.
Rekindling a fire is much easier when there is an open flame, and although completely dry wood is difficult to find on the damp forest floor, this is where the rosin collected earlier comes in handy.
Rich in oil and flammable, rosin is extremely effective as a combustion aid. Even if the wood is very wet, it can successfully start a fire. Once the flame burns to a certain level, it is not that difficult to maintain it.
Spend some time collecting stones and surround them around the fire. This will concentrate the flames and prevent them from escaping and causing a fire. Even in a humid environment, it is still possible to be careless and accidentally set fire to the mountain.
There is a high possibility that you can find water sources by searching carefully in areas with rich vegetation, but when visibility is low, visual judgment alone is not very reasonable.
What serves as a guide is the subtle sounds in the environment. The sound of running water is easier to block, but the sounds made by animals tend to be more penetrating. Any living thing needs a water source to survive. As creatures that are much smaller than humans, various insects are usually located close to water.
So I followed the place where the insects were chirping. I didn't say I would definitely find it, but at least it was in the right direction.
Since the search for water takes a long time and may involve a long journey, our Mr. Sage is responsible for it. The tall Henry walked on the forest floor, and he could tell the moisture content of the ground just by relying on his weight and his feet. As the footprints deepened, the ground beneath them became softer, and the fact that they were near low-lying land could easily be determined.
The direction is definitely correct, but whether we can find a usable water source is still a question. The surrounding environment was very dim, and the not-so-bright Gemini moonlight was blocked by the tree canopy, leaving only a little bit of blue light. And Henry held the torch and walked around in a circle. Wherever the firelight hit, the chirping of insects paused because of this tall intruder, but except for some small puddles, no obvious source of water was found.
"Croak -" the cry of amphibians sounded from the other side, and the sage looked for it, but the colorful frog was obviously poisonous. He was a little disappointed, but he did not show it on his face.
But where amphibians exist, there should be more than just small puddles like this. After spending some time, Henry successfully found a pool a little further away. The firelight shone on something sparkling above. If he looked carefully, he saw that it was spring water flowing out from between the cracks in the mountains.
Judging from the traces washed out of the hard rocks around the pool, this should not be a short-term stream that only appears when the snow melts, but a long-lasting spring.
The water reflected the light of the torches, and the sage's own face was cut by ripples on the black surface of the pool. Because the firelight cannot penetrate, the unknown darkness at first glance makes people worry about whether there is some kind of giant beast lurking in it.
But the man standing in front of the pool was Henry Meyer.
If there is any predatory creature hiding inside, it will probably just become their dinner.
Unfortunately, this scenario did not materialize in the end, so Henry only came to complete the task of fetching water.
Their water utensils were lost in a series of escapes, but with their wealth of knowledge, it was not difficult to make some water utensils. Find a big enough tree nearby, pull out a knife and cut out a square piece of bark on the trunk, then carefully peel it off, fold back the four corners and fix it with wood sharpened into spikes, and then secure it on both sides. Punch a hole in the lanyard to make a handle, and you can make a water container in just a few minutes.
The waterproof bark can hold a lot of fresh water after being folded at the four corners. Although it will definitely be damaged if it is vigorously moved, it can still hold up while walking slowly.
When Henry slowly returned with a basin of water, our Luoan girl had already made the fire with the help of Sakura, wiped some stones with leaves, threw them into the charcoal pile, and then collected them. Here are some of the best foods available during this season - fungi.
As long as there are nutrients, mushrooms that can grow overnight have a long history of being eaten everywhere, and the Moon Country is no exception. The Luoan girl has a habit of learning local knowledge before going wherever she goes. However, this time, the Moon Country's documents are restricted even in Padrosi, where they have the most exchanges, so there is no way to get started.
Without relevant local knowledge, it is very foolish to rely on visual inspection. Even if it looks similar to the fungi in Rigal, the mushroom you picked may be highly poisonous or hallucinogenic.
Fortunately, some species still exist even across the Northern Riga Sea and the Dadonghai Sea. These common edible fungi constitute the exhausted group’s supper tonight.
Only choose the ones you are sure you know, because there are many fungi that are extremely toxic, so if you are not sure, don’t think they are probably edible. Only choose the ones you are absolutely sure you can eat.
This is the most basic rule of thumb for safe harvesting.
The water brought back by the sage was placed in a temporary container made of tree bark. After using some other bark of the same tree to separate a portion for later use, it was placed next to the fire.
The best way to cook mushrooms is to boil them, which allows the umami flavor to enter the soup. Unlike metal pots, containers made of tree bark cannot be roasted directly, which is why Mira cleans the stones and puts them into the charcoal fire.
After chopping the mushrooms with a knife and putting them into the bark pot, use two branches to pick up the red-hot stones and put them in to boil the water.
Although the smell of charcoal will permeate the water, fortunately, carbon is harmless to the human body, so it doesn't matter.
A hot mushroom soup helped me regain my energy. Afterwards, seeing that it was probably not going to rain again tonight, the three of them spread some insulation, covered themselves with woolen cloaks around the fire, and prepared to sleep on the ground like this.
Time passed, and when the mist filled the forest and the blue morning arrived, the three people, who had not slept well but had regained some energy, got up one after another.
It's a good thing that there aren't many supplies. Although life becomes less convenient, traveling light also means that they don't need to spend a lot of time organizing.
After re-stirring the campfire last night, I made a pot of hot pine needle tea. There was nothing left for breakfast, so I didn’t have to eat it, but I still had to maintain the water and temperature.
After such basic care, the three of them tried to explore to the edge of the woods, and then found a way down.
This time they had a goal in their exploration. Because the water pool discovered by the sage was not a stream formed by short-term melting snow, but a long-term spring. With such a stable water source, the possibility of being inhabited nearby is greatly increased.
At least hunter cabins and the like are possible, but they are usually not built close together. Because humans are not the only ones who visit the water source. If the hut is built very close, it will either scare away the prey in the area, or there may be strong bears breaking in in search of food, thus destroying the items inside the house.
But they were not planning to find such a hut, but were planning to follow the water source to the foot of the mountain to see if there were any houses living near the water.
After entering the area with mountains and forests, the road became relatively smooth and not too steep.
The roots of trees effectively prevent soil erosion, so flat ground and soil alike accumulate. Although you still need to be careful to avoid falling into natural caves, etc., it is generally faster to move forward.
As the sun gradually rose, the entire area slowly became brighter.
When the golden light fell one by one, a group of three people walked out of the woods and came to the edge of a cliff.
"Hoo——" The much warmer breeze blew, causing the three people's hair, cloaks and clothes to flutter in the wind. The bright light dazzled people for a moment. After they got used to it, what they saw was words that were difficult to understand. Describe the beautiful scene.
The tree line of extinct trees on the top of the mountain range stretches from far away to the point where it becomes a blur. The parts that are still covered with snow and the parts covered with tundra are interspersed with gray-white mountains, while the exposed rocky parts are as steep as It is a sharp sword thrust into the sky, shining in the golden sunlight.
"Now I understand why so many people like to climb mountains." Even the oiran, who was out of breath from lack of exercise, couldn't help but speak.
When you stand on the top of a high mountain, you can feel the vastness of the world when you look down.
In an instant, all the entanglements and sufferings seemed to be cured by the beautiful scenery.
But only for a moment.
"Let's go, we have to go down the mountain before it gets dark again in the afternoon." Henry stopped the two ladies from admiring the scene in an incomprehensible manner. Mira rolled her eyes, while Sakura sighed quietly.
Time continued to pass slowly, and under the guidance of the sage, they traveled quickly. When the three of them, who had not eaten much, finally arrived at the foot of the mountain, perhaps their sense of smell became sharpened due to hunger, they immediately noticed the smoke rising from the nearby kitchen.
"It tastes like dumplings!" Sakura rarely said this in a relatively high-pitched tone, but before Mira could react, the oiran took the first step and waved her hand to urge them to follow her quickly.
